Used 2018 Honda Pilot Consumer Reviews
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A mini van in disguise
Hector, 04/14/2019
updated 11/19/2021
2018 Honda Pilot EX 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
We got the 6 speed auto EX model and the transmission has behave well. My wife and I have noticed it makes some loud knocking/thumping noises. I just heard it the other day while backing up to our driveway. Cannot reproduce it all the time though. Acceleration is good. Space is great! 3rd road seat can actually be used by adults. With all the seats folded down we transported a treadmill home, so it has a cavernous cargo space when the 2nd and 3rd row are folded down. Don't really like the touchscreen in the infotainment system and the lack of volume/power on/off button for the infotainment system. Honda fix that the year after we bought our SUV. Yes it took the 4th model to fix that! 3rd row seat does not come with a mat, so I recommend purchasing all weather/costom fix rubber mats for all three rows. Body roll is noticeable, so slow down coming off the highway. This is not a Mazda CX9 is a Oddysey with a higher profile. The blind spot camera on the right mirror works great and it truly help you to pass lanes on the highway. Another thing, metallic paint in Honda's seem to be on the thin side these day. I have noticed this paint scratches very easily. My 12 year old Accord has better paint than this 18 Pilot. Shame on you Honda! Overall we are satisfied with the vehicle, but I have found 100s of report and complaints on the Elites and Touring trims. Watch out for for those 9 speed transmission skipping and slipping. I cannot believe Honda has not recalled this crappy transmission yet. Honda's transmissions have always been on the weak side (Honda develops theirs own). If you don't want to have any transmission issues, go for Toyota if you want a Japanese vehicle. Asin makes transmissions for Toyota, and they are on the best in the market. Last but not least, Iif you are an Android user, your phone after I while will not sync well with your infotainment system. My wife's Apple Car play works flawless, but my Android Auto struggles to connect. I can only use it via Bluetooth. 2020 update: SUV has been behaving well, but that's expected. Not 9000 yet and she's almost 2 years. No Android Auto issues now. I guess the bugs workout themselves. Most likely it was a low quality/worn USB cable. Is working well now. Still scratches easily. Careful with that paint! Everything else has held up well, especially since the Pilot is garage kept. Still recommend this vehicle for people with families of 5 or more. Good shoulder room for the 3 passengers in the 2nd row. 2021 Update: 22,000 plus miles now on year . Did a 4,600 mile trip from SE AZ all the way to MI's lower peninsula. Performed admirably with 6 passengers on board. Maintenance wise I have only done oil / filterchanges and replenish fluids. Still original battery, tires, breaks, etc. Very happy about that. 18 inch wheels ride very smoothly in comparison to the 20 inch ones, plus tires are a lot more affordable. The extra thick sidewall came in handy on the horrendous pothole infested roads of MI. Still recommend this family SUV. Let's see what comes out for the 4th gen Pilot in 2022. This one is looking a little outdated already after 7 years.
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Hi-tech Pilot
Chuck, 03/10/2018
2018 Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
10 of 14 people found this review helpful
Just traded in my 2005 Pilot for the new 2018 Pilot Elite. There is definitely a learning curve to get used to the new technology. The lane keeping assist and interactive cruise control take some getting used to, but after a week or so you get used to the alarm for steering required and automatic breaking. Now I am used to the new tech and miss it when I drive my other car. I am definitely much safer in the new Pilot.
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2018 Honda Pilot for sale near you
3 of 43 listings
- EX-L 4dr SUVMSRP: $25,99110 mi away
- EX-L 4dr SUV w/NavigationMSRP: $16,649In-stock online
- Touring 4dr SUV w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment SystemMSRP: $19,518In-stock online
See all 43 listings
My last Honda purchase ever.
ABH, 12/01/2018
2018 Honda Pilot EX-L 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
15 of 22 people found this review helpful
Used to love Honda. Driven Honda and Acura for many years. This Pilot is garbage. I don't think it's any better than a GMC or Chrysler. The technology isn't great unless you pay 50K for the touring package. Suspension has a clunky sound- they claim it's due to their super high technology shock absorbers. Whatever- they sound like crap. The transmission is complete and utter junk if you live in the mountains. You can't down shift effectively to save brakes. Also transmission won't cold start. Mind you, I live in California so it's not really that cold here. But if it gets down to 40 at night, then Pilot takes a second or two to engage transmission after I shift. Driver seat is cheap and uncomfortable. I drive a 22 year old Toyota with 185k miles on it that is more comfortable to sit in. Lumbar support is pretty much non existent. I mean it's there and all, but it really doesn't do anything. Stereo is literally a joke. Honda killed the audio quality with their stupid noise canceling. You can find about a million hits and threads about how bad it is. You can even find videos teaching you how to disable the noise cancelling. The Honda Pilot is garbage. I'll be surprised if lasts 20k miles without serious work. If you're thinking about buying one, then save yourself some headaches and pay the extra money for the Acura MDX. They share the same AWD system, but the Acura uses completely different parts otherwise.
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Honda Pilot 2018 EX-L w/ Sensing Obsidian Blue
DannyT, 08/27/2018
updated 03/08/2021
2018 Honda Pilot EX-L 4dr SUV w/Honda Sensing (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
6 of 8 people found this review helpful
About 2 years into ownership. Purchased over Highlander because it was slightly larger and had new tech with Apple Car Play and the large touch screen. This vehicle is 11 model years newer than the Ridgeline that traded. The technology upgrades are very significant; however there is a persistent problem with the entertainment and access ports. Honda dealer is unable to accurately diagnose and correct. Big learning curve but I am enjoying this SUV. The fuel mileage is better than expected for this substantial vehicle. The economy setting helps. I am looking forward to a longer highway journey in late September to determine how it will do on a long trip. Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase. I visited three dealerships and drove four vehicles in my search. I researched this size SUV using many internet resources. Recommend getting internet prices to enter the fray. Expect significant negotiations to get the lowest price. I purchased during the model year change over and at the end of the month. It has been a good vehicle.
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Not what I expected
Dan, 12/10/2018
2018 Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
10 of 15 people found this review helpful
This pilot cost way too much for some of the things I’ve found after purchasing. (1) don’t even think about going through an automated car wash (2) apple phones do not sink up with navigation system, no voice directions with google navigation, I don’t think Honda and apple get along with each other (3) arm rests cost about $1.99, they are the most uncomfortable, hard to adjust, pieces of worthless junk. You would think a car that cost close to fifty thousand would have a different design for arm rests (4) transmission, I don’t know where to begin with that piece of crap. I wish Toyota made a midsize suv but alas, they do not.
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